Bird Chew Toys: Homemade Bird Toys
Nearly all pet birds love to chew on things. It's important to have things around the cage that the bird can work its beak on. Bird Chew Toys are especially important for pets like Cockatoos and Macaws who absolutely need to have things around to gnaw on. Luckily, you don't have to go out and spend too much money on these types of toys.
For starters, try out simple wooden and cardboard items. The all purpose popsicle stick makes a great chew toy for birds. You can get these in bulk at the craft store. Other crafting sticks can work just as well. You may want to try wooden peg clothespins with the metal spring removed from the pin for safety. You can also try clean and fresh twigs and branches from nearby trees, although you want to make sure these have been washed thoroughly. Long pieces of pasta may provide some nice variety as well. All of these items can either be hung from strings from the top of the cage, tied to the side of the cage or placed in a "toy box" container for your bird at the bottom of the cage.
Birds also love to shred items as well as chew on them. For this type of activity, consider softer, paper-like materials. Some options include rolled up newspaper, cardboard strips, coconut fibers, leftover raffia, toilet paper rolls, and small whisk brooms. These items will tend make a mess - but hey, that's what birds will tend to do after all! Make sure to periodically clean the cage to get rid of excess shredded material.
Warning: I have heard some people using pieces of metal as chew toys. These might include safer items like stainless steel flatware. You should proceed with caution whenever using anything with metal (and perhaps some plastics) as a chew toy - especially make sure there are no sharp or loose ends on the metal. As always, please keep an eye out on what homemade bird toys your pet is chewing on. This is especially true if you let your bird out into his play area - you don't want him to chew on things that he shouldn't be.